Issue 6

the

TOWER

Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2017 Volume 90 Issue 6

A weekly tradition since 1928

@thetowerpulse thetowerpulse.net

Grosse Pointe South High School 11 Grosse Pointe Blvd. Grosse Pointe Farms, MI 48236

Hepatitis A sweeps through community MAURA SHINE & DANIEL KLEPP, BOTH ’20 Page Editor & Staff Writer

H

epatitis A was discovered at Pierce Middle School in Grosse Pointe Park last week, and was linked back to other Grosse Pointe Restaurants who were recently investigated.

Cabbage Patch Cafe in Grosse Pointe Park temporarily closed its doors Sept. 30 at the health department’s request and was cleared to reopen Oct. 2. Uncle Paul’s Pizza in Grosse Pointe Woods also closed Sept. 30.

Hepatitis A is spread by eating or drinking contaminated food or water, according to Dr. Natalia Filipof. The disease is preventable by a vaccine, and hand washing can easily prevent it as well, she said.

“There’s no antibiotic or antiviral medicine to take, but there is an immunization out for Hepatitis A that health care workers often take,” Filipof said.

Symptoms include nausea, fatigue, low appetite, stomach pain and jaundice. Symptoms will usually go away in two months, Filipof said. Unless a person diagnosed with Hepatitis A has a compromised immune system, it is typically not fatal.

“Some people have to go to the hospital because they get so dehydrated because they keep throwing up, but with IV fluids and time, they get better,” Filipof said.

Hepatitis A hasn’t just affected Grosse Pointe restaurants, it also has impacted one district school.

A staff member at Pierce Middle School has contracted the disease.

“A staff member was feeling ill and fatigued and had been out of school,” Pierce principal Chris Clark said. “When the news broke regarding the outbreak at the restaurants, the staff member recalled eating food from one of them.”

According to the Grosse Pointe school board, Pierce Middle School has had its classrooms and common areas deeply cleaned after they found out that a staff member had Hepatitis A. “When informed of the positive test over the weekend, maintenance staff were immediately brought in to clean according to protocols,” Clark said.

However, this hasn’t stopped students like Ashlyn Johnson ’22 from wondering if they’re going to contract the disease.

“Some people were actually concerned because they’ve eaten at the local places, including me,” Johnson said.

Rumors have been running rampant around Pierce as many students are saying they have Hepatitis A or are accusing others of having it. Many students think this as a joke even though it’s a serious illness, according to Johnson. However, she said she doesn’t believe any of the rumors going around Pierce.

“People are taking it as a joke and accusing others of having it, which those people probably don’t,” Johnson said.

Most South students will not have to worry about catching Hepatitis A because most people are vaccinated. Between 1995 and 2008, there was a 92 percent decrease in Hepatitis A because of the vaccine.

“You don’t die from this,” Filipof said. “Unless you are immunocompromised, most people will survive it.”

Teachers, administration deal with a strained science budget In-Depth Look ADRIAN DOAN ’19 Page Editor The science department is struggling to find funding for its core classes in a thinly stretched budget, as the administration looks for permanent solutions.

The budget of the science department remains unchanged from last year; however, according to Principal Moussa Hamka, the administration must work with teachers to increase funding or find outside help to make up for the additional cost of new science electives.

“Science has been very innovative over the last couple years,” Hamka said. “They have added new courses to meet the growing needs of students.”

The electives that lead to the cuts have been at South for a few years, but this is the first year that the department has found itself so far over budget, according to Hamka.

“Initial startup costs are covered through the curriculum department when pilots are approved,” Hamka said. “But as those courses transition out of the pilot series, the initial cost runs out, so the buildings pick up the ongoing cost and maintenance of the courses.”

All of the electives are now dependent on the science department, and with their cost combined with that of other electives and core classes, the department’s projected expenses exceeded their budget, according to Hamka.

“There is a district committee called the EPLC (Education Programs Leadership Council), which reviews the curriculum and there is a process by which members vote,” Hamka said. “One of the things we always talk about is sustainability, and every time we have developed new courses I have looked at our budget and have forecasted the costs.”

Predicting the potential costs can be challenging, Hamka said.

“If students are taking organic chemistry, astronomy or forensics, they are not taking another course,” Hamka said. “If you just accumulate the number of forensic science, the number of organic chemistry and the number of astronomy classes, you’ll see in a given year between 10 and 15 classes, and that’s 10 or 15 classes of another content area that aren’t needed.”

Because of the new electives, biology teacher Shelly Rothenbuhler was forced to cut out dissections.

“The addition of all these nice electives that we have is a very good thing and I want to support, but that takes a toll on the finances,” Rothenbuhler said. “Dissections are one of the higher priced items, so we had to cut them out.”

The problem has lead teachers such as Rothenbuhler to look for outside sources, such as Mothers’ Club for funding, in an effort to ensure students can have an experience all their classes can offer.

“I have indicated to the Biology teachers if we can’t get

IMPORTANT DATES oct.

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Parent/Teacher conferenceces will be Wednesday and Thursday at 5 p.m to 7 p.m.

oct.

GRAPHIC BY RILEY LYNCH ’18

Viral Outbreak:

funds to do dissections, I will work with them to find the funds elsewhere,” Hamka said. “But I would like to look at a more long-term solution and that might mean increasing the science budget as we move on.”

Increasing the science department’s budget would be no simple task as money may have to be taken from another program or department. The administration is hesitant to start a situation that pits departments and classes against each other for funding, according to Hamka.

“One of the things I’ve tried really hard to do is to not make it us vs . them,” Hamka said. “To not make it a core vs. a non-core. I do not want to pin one program against another.

Hamka worries, if this happens, programs such as the choir or school musical could be pitted against core classes for funding.

“I would look at the choir. I would look at our orchestra. I would look at The Tower. I would look at so many

I don’t look at it as an elective vs. a core.

I look at it as they are both fueling student interest and they are both fueling student passions.

MOUSSA HAMKA Principal other things that are not classified as electives but really enhance the expe-

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rience here at South,” Hamka said. “I don’t look at it as an elective vs. a core. I look at it as they are both fueling student interest and they are both fueling student passions.”

In hope of preventing interdepartmental conflict, the administration is looking into other ways to save money that could go towards the science department. This may come in the form of increasing the self-sufficiency of revenue generating programs.

“We try to get programs that do generate revenue to be as self-sufficient as possible. Now that’s a goal, we realize we can’t cut our funding completely from them,” Hamka said.

“But again if they are able to raise money through ticket sales, or subscription or other means, then we do ask that they come as close to cost neutral as possible.”

Besides looking at ways to save, it is also important to look at how spending for classes changes each year. Classes can have costs that do not recur every year, Hamka added.

“I think what we do is look to allocate funds based on need, and certainly those needs shift based on the moment and also based on particular needs for that year,” Hamka said.

Stephen Kim, who teaches chemistry and the new elective forensics, supported the idea that the costs will reduce as the classes continue.

“I think when you start off with these new classes, you are going to need the new supplies for them,” Kim said. “The first year is always going to have a bigger budget for sure, and after that, you already have those supplies, so it doesn’t really have a

LifeTouch retake photos are on Thursday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

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huge hit on the budget the following years.”

Of course, there is always the option for the administration to cut out classes, and cutting out the new electives would certainly reduce the expenses. However, Hamka said the administration views this as a last resort.

The electives have been popular among students, and despite being a primary cause of the trouble, the electives are still a worthwhile addition to the South curriculum, according to Hamka.

“I think it all goes back to student needs,” Hamka said. “If students weren’t signing up for these classes we wouldn’t have them. I think very few people would argue with these electives being amazing additions.”

Kim sees the interest of students in these electives first hand, as a teacher of both core and elective science classes he can see how the class sizes compare.

“In both my forensics classes, I have around 25 kids and in my chemistry classes I have anywhere from 26 to 30, so they are actually very similar,” Kim said.

For Hamka, one of the main incentives to keep these electives is innovation and adapting to changing needs.

“We are trying to keep our learning relevant in the 21st century,” Hamka said. “We have the makerspace. We have 3D printers. We have these new innovative electives and a whole bunch of new technology. It’s important to expose our kids to this.”

South’s Fall Follies are on Friday and Saturday at Grosse Pointe North starting at 7 p.m.

2 | OPINION

THETOWERPULSE.NET | 10.18.17

Remaining true to our roots: Recognizing a history of journalism excellence, to protect the future OUR VIEW || EDITORIAL

I

t would be an understatement to say journalism has the same public integrity it did 20 years ago. This lack of trust isn’t unwarranted; in professional journalism today, articles and stories come out with angles to satisfy a specific audience and get paid based off of ratings, not objectivity. Now is the time to redeem the image of this great field which is a calling for any society in order to function.

We, at The Tower, are here to say all is not lost in terms of student media. In doing everything in our power to deliver news in a legal and professional way, our goal is not to target certain groups or have any bias. Our goal is to be a resource for the community and, overall, to restore the power of the press.

The most important way to represent ourselves is by making sure we know the laws and ethics that come with high school journalism. In the prerequisite course, students are introduced to First Amendment, court cases and resources like the Student Press Law Center, which specializes in providing legal advice to high school journalists. Learning about high school journalism rights has always been a standard practice for The Tower, as education correlates to success.

The previous adviser to The Tower, Rod Satterthwaite, advised at South for two years. During his time working with the staff, he noted the professionalism which was started decades before, under the direction of well-known advisers Bob Button and Jeff Nardone.

Satterthwaite added both Button and Nardone as people who demanded excellence. Both took student journalism seriously, and the importance of student voice seriously. Without leaders like them, The Tower may not be the weekly publication it’s known and revered for.

When Nardone came into the role at South CE Sikkenga, Adviser to the Grand Haven High School Bucs’ Blade, said he had found someone

to look up to in the student media adviser world.

He added whether the story be a light feature or a controversial news package, Tower procedure was and continues to be the “Gold Standard for reporting.”

It’s fair to say that the reputation of this publication is one to upkeep, and to do so includes a healthy relationship with the school and community. We feel that it is only due respect to those who have worked almost a century to make this paper the caliber of a professional outlet.

By working with school officials, administrators and board members to give our audience a credible resource, we can reassure the community that The Tower always aims to provide fair coverage that readers want to learn about.

Betsy Rau, a retired adviser, has worked with The Tower for years, and she saw firsthand what the power of high school press can do in terms of keeping a school community well informed.

“Without student publications being strong, we aren’t training the journalists for tomorrow,” Rau said. “Your high school readers deserve the truth. You guys are the watchdogs of your school.

If they get a paper that is all fluff and PR then they are not learning.”

After all, the process student media is involved with, is based in learning. To influence our work or ask to see any works in progress, would be not allowing us students to make our own decisions and get our own voices out.

“You wouldn’t go micromanage the football team, for instance, and ask the coach to see the playbook before they have their game, and you wouldn’t do that with the newspaper,” Satterthwaite said. “The learning process here is that students wrestle with content, they wrestle with design, they wrestle with how to best convey their information to their audience and you trust that they do it well.”

We cannot stress this point enough that hav-

ing a thriving high school publication benefits everyone who picks up the paper and cares about the stories that must be told. It’s important to remember Grosse Pointe district has a board policy that prevents prior review and censorship of content by any school official.

This is something Tower takes pride in and thank our School Board for implementing years ago. Section 5722 of the Board Policy states “district administrators and teachers are responsible for encouraging and ensuring freedom of expression and freedom of the press for all students, regardless of whether the ideas expressed may be considered unpopular, critical, controversial, tasteless, or offensive.”

Satterthwaite was the Legislative Chair for the Michigan Interscholastic Press Association for years and was constantly shown what can happen to schools that suffer from prior review.

“Advisers and students would call me and just tell horror stories of administrators either taking content out, threatening students by saying things like ‘Hey if you do this story, it might affect your college applications,’ or to the adviser saying ‘We don’t have to run a newspaper class next year, you know’,” Satterthwaite said.

Stories like these are exactly why every state legislature should side with the landmark Tinker v. Des Moines Supreme Court case, which ruled that students have the same First Amendment rights as any citizen would as long as there isn’t disruption to the school day or learning process, granted the speech isn’t libelous or offensive.

Making Michigan a ‘Tinker’ state would not allow prior review or censorship of all student run publications. We are lucky at Tower to have such freedoms. We encourage all readers to get behind this effort to allow more student voice in

today’s world.

Readers of The Tower may question certain content we publish. This is expected, but what is not okay is for our audience to question our intentions and believe that we are uneducated about how our journalistic process works. Every story we publish is certified to bring in ethics, legality and information.

EDITORIAL CARTOON BY GRIFFIN JONES ’18

Studet take on slanted media coverage as it relates to recent shootings across the nation MY VIEW

IMRAN SIDDIQUI ’20 Copy Editor

NEWSPAPER

the

TOWER

STAFF

C BY EVA MCCORD ’21 Editor-in-Chief

Liz Bigham* ’18 John Francis* ’18 Online Editor-in-Chief

Henry Ayrault* ’19

Print Associate Editor

Alyssa Czech* ’19

Online Associate Editor

Grace Reyes* ’19

Supervising Editors at Large

Ray Hasanaj* ’18 Liam Walsh* ’18

Supervising Editors

Katherine Bird*, Rachel Harris*, Riley Lynch*, Elena Rauch*, all ’18 Bianca Pugliesi* ’19

Waking up on Monday, the second of October, checking the cellphone that lays beside you, everyone has the same notifications etched onto their screen. It screams for attention, whether it be from CNN, Fox News or Buzzfeed, reading “Las Vegas Massacre” or “Deadliest Mass Shooting in US History” in bold text. Just seeing this news strikes fear into people. Some may rush to find the answers, while others send out a quick tweet as a sign of an empty prayer.

As a minority, as a person of color, as a Muslim, unfortunately, the first thought that crossed my mind in this situation was, ‘Oh no, please don’t say it’s a Muslim who did this, please don’t say it’s someone like me’.

First and foremost, this is in no way trying to take light away from the situation at hand. My heart goes out to all of the families affected by the Las Vegas tragedy. However, this terrible event is just one of many that exhibit how the media blindly covers terPage Editors

Chase Clark*, Kaitlin Nemeh* Cam Smolen*, JD Standish*, all ’18 Adrian Doan* ’19 Anne Muawad*, Lauren Nemeh*, Maura Shine*, Aidan Walsh*, Elizabeth Wolfe*, all ’20 Copy Editors

Ian Dewey*, Piper Eschenburg*, Phoebe Miriani*, all ’18 Sylvia Hodges* ’19, Elizabeth Flower*, Victoria Gardey*, Claire Sheeren*, Imran Siddiqui*, all ’20 Business Managers

Evan Skaff* ’18 Web Editors

Arianna Pagenette* ’18, Kaitlyn Perkins* ’18, Kathleen Carroll*, Katherine Costello*, Claire Koeppen*, Jaqui Mercier*, Audrey Whitaker*, all ’19 Dominic Dulac* ’20

ror attacks based on the race of the perpetrator.

My immediate reaction to hearing about an event such as the Las Vegas shooting is to learn more.

Specifically, I need to learn more about the criminal. When the criminal is a person of color, especially a “brown person” in my case, it is as if the crime reflects all of those with the same skin tone. When a person commits an attack in the name of Islam, it is as if the religion and its 1.5 billion followers are to blame.

It is very rare to find journalism that labels Stephen Paddock, the Las Vegas gunman, as a terrorist. According to Nevada’s state law, an “‘act of terrorism’ means any act that involves the use or attempted use of sabotage, coercion or violence which is intended to cause great bodily harm or death to the general population.” Paddock used violence openly, killing 59 people and injuring about 200 others.

Therefore, in Nevada, this action, this act of aggression, can be labeled as domestic terrorism.

Why is it that the media often is able to throw “the t-word” at a person of color, but fails to use the phrase when the criminal is a white male? This failure to react appropriately and timely em-

Multimedia/Social Media Editors

Abigail Due* ’18, Erica Fossee* ’19 Tower Radio

Alex Acker* ’18 Zachary Heimbuch* ’19 Staff Writers

Margot Baer, Solana Bryson, Blair Cullen, Griffin Jones, Harper McClellan, Caitlin Miller, John Schulte, Lauren Thom, Brennan Zihlman, all ’18 John Bellamy, Isabella Craparotta, Allison MacLeod, Olivia Mlynarek, Sarah Stevenson, Arif Ulku, all ’19 Madeleine Allen, Julia Ambrozy, Daniel Klepp, Evelyn Kuhnlein, Charlie Matthews, Kari Ronning, all ’20 Eva McCord ’21 Adviser

Kaitlin Edgerton

phasizes America’s deep-rooted, systemic racism.

One may argue that these loaded terms are just words, they hold no real power, unlike the 1,600 rounds of ammunition Paddock had in his possession.

What this viewpoint doesn’t take into account is how people react to these labels. Depending on the demographics of the attacker, these reactions lead to a dehumanization of a certain race or culture. When I hear the word “terrorism”, a person of color is automatically connected to the term, and I am certain that this happens for others as well.

According to a comprehensive study on the perpetrators of mass shootings from 19822017 by Mother Jones, more than 54 percent of the shooters have been caucasians. However, the media often throws words such as “lone wolf ” or “local individual” if the shooter is white, “thug” if the shooter is black or “terrorist” if the shooter is brown. This creates biased and unfair stereotypes, and an entire race will be forced to deal with the repercussions.

Often times, I feel as if I have to apologize on behalf of my race or my religion for a terrible event that may be remotely linked with my identity. This is the main reason why I have such

“The Tower” is the weekly publication of the Advanced Journalism classes at Grosse Pointe South High School. It has always been a designated public form of student expression.

The Tower is located in room 142 in Grosse Pointe South High School. Please contact us at 313-432-3649.

a visceral reaction to these acts of terrorism. I don’t see every Christian feeling obligated to take the blame for KKK protests happening throughout our country, so why do I feel obligated to take the blame when a terror attack that is caused by a Muslim, such as the Pulse nightclub shooting, that I share no values with?

Of course, it is important to recognize that race or religion aren’t the only factors that played a part in the Las Vegas shooting.

It is impossible to boil an issue down to fit one specific agenda, especially one as wretched as this one, but it’s still crucial to realize the other factors that play into it.

So maybe after you tweet out “#prayfor_____” and donate whatever you can to help out those who were affected by the attack, think on how this tragedy is being covered in the news, and educate yourself as much as possible. Rome wasn’t built in a day, just as these issues will not disappear in an instant. Piece by piece, we, the next generation, are tasked with the duty to obliterate the unfair stereotypes in order to look at the bigger picture at hand.

Errors

Factual errors will be corrected on the opinion page or in news briefs written upon request and verification.

Letters

Letters to the Editor are encouraged and will be screened for libel, irresponsibility and obscenity. The Editorial Board may edit or shorten letters as long as the meaning is Opinion Pieces unchanged. All letters must be signed and Editorials represent the majority opinion of include a telephone number for confirmation. the Editorial Board and are left unsigned.

Request to withhold the writer’s name Columns represent the opinions of individual from publication for good reason will be staff members and outside contributors. considered. Letters can be sent to the above email address, or dropped off in “The Tower” Editorial Board Room.

An asterisk * denotes Editorial Board editors.

Advertising

Display adverising is sold at a rate of $7 per column inch, with discounts for large or frequent advertisers. Advertising may not advocate illegal activities or contain libelous, irresponsible or obscene material.

Professional Associations

Member of the Columbia Scholastic Press Association, National Scholastic Press Association, Quill and Scroll, the Society for Newspaper Design and the Michigan Interscholastic Press Association.

THETOWERPULSE.NET | 10.18.17

3 | NEWS

ONGOING INVESTIGATION: locker room robberies leave

school athletes frustrated, without belongings JACK BELLAMY ’19 Staff Writer After a crushing defeat to Anchor Bay, the freshmen boys football team ran into more unfortunate circumstances. They returned to the locker room to find their bags and lockers broken into and numerous items were missing.

On Oct. 5, the locker room off of the field was infiltrated.

Phones and wallets were reported stolen, and because this theft was more than 100 dollars the Grosse Pointe Farms Police were notified.

According to Detective Lieutenant Rich Rosati, the police got two complaints about items stolen from the locker room during the game.

“We have two people who are both missing a cellphone, and one missing a wallet, including credit cards,” Rosati said. “The thieves tried to use the debit card at Kroger in the Village, but it was denied because they didn’t have the pin number. After a bunch of times trying it, the bank deactivated the card.”

According to Rosati, the police have footage of the perpetrators at Kroger and have reason to believe it was a student who committed the theft. They are attempting to identify them based off of the footage they have ob-

tained. problem with theft in the locker “We viewed a video of the al- room in the past. leged perpetrators at the Kroger “There has been a couple of and they looked young,” Rosati times where I have come in with said. “We think we know who my wallet, and I’ll put it in my they are. We have to get them bag and it will be under all my identified, and we have pictures. clothes,” Fraser said, “I’ll have Now we have to find someone like 20-25 dollars in there and I’ll who can find out who they are, come back and there’s like maybe and then we’ll close in on them.”

1 dollar, or nothing, left in there.”

Bennett Smihal, a player on In the Student Code of Conthe freshman football team, was duct, which can be found in the the one who student planhad his wallet ner, theft and debit card is defined I looked around the stolen. Accordon page 28 locker room and I found as “any uning to Smihal, he did not lock aut h or i z e d it in the stall area, and his locker prior taking or my phone and wallet to going on the possessing weren’t in there field. of money BENNETT SMIHAL ‘21 “I heard or personfrom the other al or public side of the lockproperty of er room that someone’s locker another on school premises, in was open and their stuff was tak- a school-related vehicle, or at a en out. I then looked in my lock- school-sponsored activity or trip. er because I, unfortunately, didn’t So essentially taking something lock it, so I opened it up and my or going through something that bag wasn’t in there,” Smihal said. is not yours.”

“I looked around the locker room According to Hamka, the and I found it in the stall area, punishment in school for South and my phone and wallet weren’t for the perpetrators could fall in there.” anywhere from a warning to exAccording to Moussa Hamka, pulsion. this was not the first occurrence “The punishment varies; the of theft in the locker room. He handbook calls for anything from encourages students to keep their a warning, an intervention all the items in a locked locker. Antho- way through exclusion or expulny Frasier, a co-captain of South’s sion depending on the severity varsity soccer team, has had a of what was taken: the damage

(that) was done, first offense, second offense, third offense (and) prior history,” Hamka said.

“Whenever we look at a student, it’s always holistic, so we want to take a look at any prior disciplinary incidents as well.”

Rosati said the punishment from the police department would vary depending on the age of the perpetrator, whether they are a minor/juvenile or an adult who is 17 and older. The charge for the thefts would be larceny in a building, a felony.

“If they were adults, a felony would be sought for them and then they would eventually go to court here first and then downtown,” Rosati said. “These guys do look like they’re juveniles so (what) we would do is seek a petition with the probate court in Wayne County, Juvenile Division. They would go straight downtown, charged with a felony.

Whatever punishment the court deem necessary would be enforced, potentially diversionary programs” Ultimately, the main message from both Administration and the Grosse Pointe Farms police department is for students to lock their lockers.

According to both Hamka and Rosati, a large amount of these incidents could have been avoided if students stuff were stored in locked lockers.

MISSING

Visa Classic

GRAPHIC BY GRIFFIN JONES ’18

You can’t take it with you, but you can buy a ticket “It’s a super big cast and crew, so chances are people will know someone that’s spent a South’s eyes for the spotlight have opened lot of time and effort on it,” Dani Dulworth once more with this year’s Fall play, “You Can’t ’18, the stage manager, said. “It’s super fun and lighthearted and funny, and I guarantee Take It With You” by Frank Capra.

Rehearsals are running along with Mea- anyone will enjoy it. I’m excited about the set ghan Dunham, the Pointe Player Director, di- coming together with the cast and crew. It’s rerecting each and every voice and movement to ally amazing to see the finished show.”

Every year, the Pointe Players run a play be seen on stage. There’s quite a few voices to that is put on by those of the student body that be heard with 20 students this year on South’s find a calling in theater, be it simple fun and auditorium stage. social opportunity, or big ““You Can’t Take It dreams to go on Broadway.

With You’ is a story of an Last year, the cast and crew unconventional family,” It’s super fun and produced “Lost in Yonkers” Dunham said. “Through lighthearted and funny,

by Neil Simon. their love and compas“I auditioned because and I guarantee anyone sion and exuberant outI love theater, but I hadn’t will enjoy it look on life, they affect acted in a while,” Natalie change in a positive way DANI DULWORTH ‘18 Boehmer ’21 said. “I’m really for everyone they come excited to see how the bonds into contact with.” of cast and crew backstage Although Dunham is begin to appear on stage and the director, the school how it’ll get portrayed to the audience. ” play is generally student-run with a stage diThe Pointe Players will put on “You Can’t rector, a student director as well as the rest of Take It With You” from Nov. 16-18 in South’s the cast and crew with individual responsibilities like memorizing lines, timing on stage, or Auditorium.

GRIFFIN JONES ’18 Graphics Manager

YOU CAN’T TAKE IT WITH YOU Students read through the script in preparation for the play. The play will be shown from Nov. 16-18.

PHOTO BY GRIFFIN JONES ’18

Making art for a difference

Make your senior portrait appointment online today!

join.

“Even if (students) don’t necessarily consider themselves an artist or a creative person, I definitely think that anytime you’re helping out someone else it’s a good thing,” Wolfe said.

Lynch said her favorite part of NAHS is making a lasting impact on the community.

“I like that we’re able to extend ourselves through our art,” Lynch said. “Because in the end people don’t live forever, but art does.”

Don’t be left out of your senior yearbook.

full year of art, or concurrent enrollment in an art class is required.

Wolfe said NAHS is more foThe National Art Honor Socicused on creativity than the Naety, a nationally-recognized sertional Honors Society (NHS). vice organization with a chapter at “We do have a lot of fun,” Wolfe South, is aiming to increase their said.

“I think NHS itself is very rigservice for others this year through orous, and so this one is a little bit creativity. more based on being creative, so I Under the leadership of new think that’s sometimes a good difadvisor, Emily Wolfe, the society ference. ” is seeking to expand its focus on Both Lynch and Wolfe agree helping others students through artistic should join to expression. have fun, but It’s just really gratifying South’s chapmore importer was started to be a part of it tantly to serve several years ago because you feel others. by teacher Kit Arlike you’re a part of “It’s just rerow, however, this ally gratifying something bigger than year, Wolfe will to be a part yourself. be the advisor for of it because the first time.

RILEY LYNCH ‘18 you feel like NAHS presiyou’re a part dent, Riley Lynch of something ’18, says she aims to spearhead bigger than yourself, and bigger more service opportunities this than any human could be because year. After volunteering with the you’re giving back to the people NAHS at Chandler Park Academy who always gave things to you,” Elementary School teaching first Lynch said. graders art last year, Lynch hopes First-year member Madeline to volunteer there more this year.

Campbell ’20 joined for the oppor“We just want to do more overtunity to do service projects relatall to help other people,” Lynch ed to creativity. said.

“I think it’s important to give According to Wolfe, in order to back to your community in the join the club, students must attend ways that your talents let you,” almost all of the meetings, comCampbell said. plete a minimum of eight service According to Wolfe, students hours and pay dues. In addition, a don’t need to be Pablo Picasso to

VICTORIA GARDEY ’20 Copy Editor

On November 1st you’ll be too late.

which prop to hand to an actor for that specific scene.

GLASS ART Caroline Zrimec and Maddy Campbell both ’20 draw breast cancer bows on wine glasses in order to raise awarness .

PHOTO BY KARI RONNING ’18

Pass it on.

, s

s a n d d a l S a c S

THETOWERPULSE.NET | 10.18.17

ru y tin

Sou p

4 | FOOD CULTURE

1 Tower staffers Katherine Bird, Blair Cullen and JD Standish all ’18 took to the Pointes and tasted both soups and salads from four different restaurants. Establishments critiqued included Park Grill, Mack Ave Grille, Luxe Bar & Grill and Red Crown.

2

3

4 Ratings are both the soup and salad rating averaged then arranged one through four in order of highest rating.

Standish evaluated the soups while Bird and Cullen assessed the salads.

1

Luxe Bar and Grill

2

Rating: 8/10

MY VIEW JD STANDISH ’18 Page Editor

Walking into my favorite weekend joint I knew I was not going to be disappointed. Time and time again Luxe outdoes itself with their food.

In the first stop of the five I decided to have a cup of chile. Not a normal soup I choose when going out, but I gave it a shot. I was blown away. The beans were cooked to perfection, and the consistency of the chile was phenomenal. While it had enough beef, it wasn’t an overwhelming amount. In every bite, I was highly satisfied.

Moving away from the soup, I was a little disappointed in how long it took for our one soup and one salad to come out on a non-busy Tuesday night. I have been to Luxe on a crowded Saturday night and I almost received my food faster.

I would give the chile an 8/10, taking a point away for price. While I’m no chile connoisseur, I would highly recommend the soup if you are looking for a warm comfort food style soup and a great atmosphere that surrounds Luxe.

3

1

Park Grill Rating: 6/10

Mack Ave. Grille Rating: 6.5/10

MY VIEW

After arriving at Luxe on a Tuesday night, I went in with KATHERINE BIRD ’18 the mindset today would be Supervising Editor the day I would have to deviate from my usual order of sweet potato fries and try something new for the sake of journalism. I took one for the team and ordered a greek salad with chicken. My first observation was how long it took to make the salad. I mean, sure they had to grill the chicken, but my goodness; it’s tossing a salad, not rocket science. Once the salad arrived I was disappointed it wasn’t tossed and I had to do the labor myself. It makes me wonder what they were doing back there for 30 minutes.

My first bite, on the other hand, did not let me down. The chicken was cooked perfectly, and all the ingredients worked great together.

The flavor was there, but the ratio of ingredients to lettuce was a little off. Too many olives and not enough romaine. Overall, I give this salad a 8/10 and can say I may be more willing next time to return to Luxe to get something other than sweet potato fries. No promises though.

4

Red Crown

Rating: 5.5/10

LOCATIONS

Luxe Bar and Grill~ 115 Kercheval Ave. Mack Ave. Grille~ 19842 Mack Ave. Park Grill~ 15102 Kercheval Ave. Red Crown~ 15301 Kercheval Ave. To read the remainder of the reviews for Park Grill, Red Crown and Mack Ave. Grille, SCAN this QR code for the link to our website containing the stories.

PHOTOS BY KATHERINE BIRD AND JD STANDISH BOTH ’18 AND ALLY MACLEOD ’19

THETOWERPULSE.NET | 10.18.17

5 | FEATURE

New restaurant downtown offers gaming and grub MY VIEW

OLIVIA MLYNAREK’19 Staff Writer

FRIENDLY ENVIRONMENT Customers wait to play some of the arcade games in POP + Offworld.

PHOTOS BY OLIVIA MLYAREK ‘19

PIN BALL MANIA Some vintage Pin Ball games are featured along the wall of the resturant.

Located in Cadillac Square in Downtown Detroit, POP + Offworld is something completely new and unique to the area.

The restaurant is hidden on the second floor of the Checker building. With a huge colorful chalkboard sign in bubble-letters saying “POP + Offworld,” it directs you towards a narrow flight of stairs in between two walls covered in colorful graffiti.

At first glance, what seems to be a large room is filled with a variety of vintage arcade games. From Miss Pacman and Donkey Kong to The Simpsons and Galaga, there are over 30 different games that accompany the room.

A place with a theme like this is a completely new idea to this area. I had never seen anything like this before and I was excited when I got to go here.

They also serve pizza by the slice. The strange and funny names of their pizza like “Spicy Pep Pep” and “Cheezus” is what makes their pizza selection stand out from other places.

The service is fast and the people are friendly and helpful. This way, you can have your food right away and focus on playing the games.

The ceiling is covered by bright string lights that illuminate the entire room. The room is coated by beautiful light hardwood floors that show the unique character and history of the building. The garage-door windows are rolled up leaving the street below visible and creating an open environment inside the restaurant.

The layout of the arcade games is something I thought was interesting about this place. Not only were the arcade games lined up against the walls and in the center of the space, but they were also located towards the back of the room. They were situated close together which made hopping from game to game easy and enjoyable since all of the selections were right in front of you.

The other portion of the space was filled with vintage wood tables and leather-lined, bright yellow retro chairs. So, if you’re not feeling like playing arcade games, you can relax at a table and enjoy the open view (literally) of Downtown Detroit.

Pop + Offworld is a great place to gather and spend time with friends. It is a great spot to go before or after a hockey game, football game, or baseball game. It is a friendly environment that is fit for all ages. You can enjoy pizza while playing your favorite old-timey games.

Style @ South

Will Frame ’18 Shirt: Patagonia Flannel: Brooks Brothers Pants: Lululemon Shoes: New Balance

BACK IN STYLE: Throwback trend makes a fashion comeback MY VIEW

ARIANNA PAGENETTE ’18 Section Editor

Crocs: the rubber clog-like shoes nearly every kid had in the early 2000s; every kid but me. My mother decided the shoes were not practical because I would somehow manage to get stuck in an escalator due to the way the shoes were structured on the bottom.

These shoes have gone out of style in recent years, however, they have been starting to make a reappearance, even touching the catwalk at Paris Fashion Week.

Crocs are a perfect shoe perfect for on the run, whether to the grocery store, on the way to practice or to throw on before school.

I started seeing rowers wearing them for practice. Being waterproof and floatable, they are the perfect shoes in the boat. Besides athletes, I also saw people wearing them regardless of playing a sport or not.

Shopping one day, I decided it was necessary to have Crocs for to and from cheer practice to avoid damaging my cheer shoes.

Deciding I wanted a pair, I took my grandma with me to the store. Knowing my mom would not let me get the shoes, my grandma was sure to buy them for me.

She also decided to purchase a pair of sandals made by Crocs, and is in love with them.

After purchasing them, I wore them for quite sometime since

once you buy anything, you want to continuously use that product.

Besides the clog Crocs everyone knows, the company also has different shoes as well. The company also makes sandals, wedges, sneakers and boots.

This year, Paris Fashion Week was rocked with the appearance of Crocs on the cat walk.

Balenciaga, a luxury fashion company, added platform Crocs in a color range of yellow to gray, including Jibbitz, the little charms you can place on Crocs.

Controversial to what some people may believe, those ugly clog shoes that went out of style are now coming back to the glory days.

MaryClaire Diamond ’19 Shirt: Forever 21 Jacket: Abercrombie Jeans: Abercrombie Shoes: Forever 21 PHOTOS BY MAURA SHINE ’20 & JOHN FRANCIS ‘18

6 | FEATURE

THETOWERPULSE.NET | 10.18.17

FAKE NEWS: The Office U.S. is returning in 2018 Fisherma nC Great Wh aptures 3,000-Pou eat S nd ite Shark old a i n G r s Ch eat Lakes icke n Wi ngs

Rat M

Dead Bigfoot Confirmed at Elephant Butte Lake, NM

Hillary Clinton Found Dead

INFORMATION COURTESY OF SNOPES.COM GRAPHIC BY RILEY LYNCH ’18

What the term actually means, how it affects South, how to avoid its stigma when reading through the internet One should also be hesitant toward delving into the world of “underground” or independent news sources. Although such sights can lend themselves to different opinions and protocol than mainstream Gordon Ramsay refuses to serve the Miami Dolphins. Planet X is news, they may also come with fabrication, according to Aldrich. set on a collision course with Earth. Is the government reading your “I stick to some of the more known sites such as CNN or NPR, rathemails? er than going into the ‘.com’ sites,” Eliza Eaton ’20 said. “Those that are Such headlines are examples of the emerging “fake-news culture,” a often both well known and sourced are usually safe.” system of yellow journalism that survives on the misinformation and Alternative sources such as ifla.org and npr.org state one should pay naivety of its readers, as opposed to satire journalism, which is intendclose attention to the quotes used in a questionable article-- or rather, ed to provide humor, according to merriam-webster.com the lack thereof. Numerous mocked-up articles tend to either fabricate “I see fake news in primarily the political sense, but in my own defiquotes or disregard them entirely; if a quote or its context appears to nition, it’s the definition of both the words ‘fake’ and ‘news’,” Josie Mobe either incorrect or exaggerated within the story, it is always recomnahan ’20 said. “Basically, anything that is put out into the public space mended to put research into the source. that is false, yet being portrayed as fact.”

“I think that a lot of times students are very strong-minded about The term itself was reused over the duration of what they think is true and false, and as we are so the 2016 presidential election, in which future presimpressionable, we may eventually start to perceive ident Donald Trump would refer to articles and what is false to be true,” Monahan said. “Things like media sources that he considered to be falsely porA method I use is that quotes make us think that what we’re reading is traying his image, according to communications dicredible, which isn’t always the case.” when I’m on a website, rector for Democracy for America Neil Sroka.

Furthermore, it is often overlooked that one can whatever one I’m “When Donald Trump is talking about fake determine whether or not an article is dubbed fake on, I look at multiple news, he is talking about stories that are based in news by considering who is benefited and harmed by fact, but portray him in a negative light. More often stories and check for that which is included within the piece. Oftentimes, than not, it is when direct facts counter a statement an obvious bias across fake news is a person or group’s personal opinion that he has made,” Sroka said. “That’s not fake news, being broadcasted as a definitive truth within the a journalist’s or group’s that’s news that he doesn’t like.” media, according to Sroka. productions.

According to Sroka, many in the political com“The point is that when I get incredibly passionmunications field feel as though it is necessary that BEN ALDRICH ’19 ate about a story, I often step back and wonder if the general public is informed on the current state of there is anything missing from a source or claim, both their politics and media, in order to ensure the and try to view the article critically, and not emolegitimacy of their news. tionally,” Sroka said. “You don’t have to distrust everything you see “There is an expeditious need for education on media analysis and online, but you have to ask questions.” criticism. In order to have informed citizenry, and have a citizenry that Some believe students should be taught at home and in schools is capable of making the political decisions it needs to make, we should about the dangers of fake news and its effects on how one perceives the be skeptical, and we should be wondering whether or not there is truth world; when one’s understanding of current events is skewed, so is one’s to our information,” Sroka said. attitude towards them Eaton said.

In a time heavy with rampant skepticism of the sources one reads, “If we start reading more critically, not only are we going to be better South students have turned to performing their own research on the informed, but we will have better discussions with one another that can articles they read, and in turn, the journalists who produce them. yield more fruitful conclusions about shared concerns,” Sroka said. “At “A method I use is that when I’m on a website, whatever one I’m on, the end of the day, politics is not about winning or losing, but about I look at multiple stories and check for an obvious bias across a journalhow we should divide resources in our society to the benefit of everyist’s or group’s productions,” Young Democrats member Ben Aldrich one.” ’19 said. “If there is, I would stay away.”

Pass it on.

1.Pay attention to the domain and URL 2.Read the "About Us" section 3.Look at the quotes in a story 4.Look at who said them 5.Check the comments 6.Reverse image search

INFORMATION COURTESY OF NPR.ORG

Don’t screw up.

Call us today!

6 steps to check if your news is real

Why be left out of your senior yearbook?

In only twelve days it will be too late.

Make your senior portrait appointment online today!

Don’t be left out of your senior yearbook.

On November 1st you’ll be too late.

EVA MCCORD ’21 Staff Writer

Pass it on.

THETOWERPULSE.NET | 10.18.17

7 | FEATURE

UNDER THE INFLUENCE: Exploring the measures taken to prevent drinking at school-sponsered events JACQUI MERCIER ’19 Section Editor According to a Tower Twitter poll, 77 percent of the 43 participants claimed they or someone they know has drank alcohol before, after or during a home South football game.

“I am certainly disappointed, but I am not surprised,” Principal Moussa Hamka said of the poll results.

According to Hamka, the school administration has recently become very public and very explicit about their efforts to stop drinking before, at, and after games like the North vs. South game and homecoming game because of illegal drinking situations at these games in years past and because of recent reports to the administration.

“I received some communication from students, from parents and community members about some of the activities that were taking place, and we have found little empty containers of alcohol under the student section,” Hamka said.

South’s administration has made efforts to combat student party culture by participating in the ‘Those Who Host Lost the Most’ campaign, which emphasized parents who host parties can encounter legal consequences for hosting parties or allowing kids to drink while they’re sanctioning and supervising. Hamka also recommends parents lock up their liquor as teens are going to be tempted.

“Since my arrival here, I have found that the drug of choice is alcohol,” Hamka said.

Hamka has spoken about alcohol or drug use on the PA before large-scale school events like football games about the school’s plans to control illegal activity among students.

Within his announcement before the

North vs. South game, it was mentioned police officers would be present and prepared to test minors for alcohol or drugs at the game, and before homecoming.

It was announced administration would be picking popsicle sticks prior to entrance at the dance as a means to randomly select students to be breathalyzed.

I’ve yet to see anything positive happen via underage drinking, and conversely have seen many negative outcomes I personally attribute to drinking TERRY HAYS Football Coach According to Hamka, this method was found to be far too time-consuming and backed up the entrance line so much the process was eventually stopped and everyone was let in. Hamka claims that while sticks were still being picked, some students who came in and saw they were actually checking turned around and left.

“We want to help students make healthy, responsible choices and we want to make sure everyone is safe,” Hamka said. “We also want to make sure that no one is breaking the law.”

According to Hamka, being under the influence at a game or any school related event has the same exact consequences as if this had been during the school day. In both cases, police notification is necessary, as there are 21 reportable offenses in Michigan in which schools are required to call law enforcement if students are under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

RUNNER’S HIGH:

“As a father, police officer and coach, I feel that underage drinking being illegal ought to be enough of a deterrent, but kids need to also consider the health and safety risks associated with consuming alcohol,” Grosse Pointe Park Sergeant and South football coach Terry Hays said.

According to the Michigan Liquor Control Code of 1998, an alcohol content of 0.02 grams or more per 100 ml of blood, per 210 liters of breath, or per 67 milliliters of urine is considered illegal in minors.

“I’ve yet to see anything positive happen via underage drinking, and conversely have seen many negative outcomes I personally attribute to drinking,” Hays said.

According to Lori Dawson, former Wayne County assistant prosecutor, there’s an upcoming change in the Michigan minor in possession law.

The law states that effective January 1, 2018, a first minor in possession offense will be listed as a civil infraction and will result in a fine (not exceeding $100), substance abuse treatment, community service and it will be posted on the minor’s driving record.

Hamka claims these actions at school or school-sponsored events will also be responded to with possible in-school suspension, counseling, substance abuse counseling and a meeting with the school social worker or psychologist, if necessary to ensure the student gets the help they need.

“In the stands, we can watch students and we can supervise them,” Hamka said.

“While it is certainly wrong and they shouldn’t be under the influence, there’s a bunch of caring adults around them, but I have looked up and wondered what happens when a student leaves?”

Senior celebrates her first half marathon

“The Detroit Free Press Half Marathon was such an exciting experience.

It was so incredible running a half marathon thousands of other runners. I didn’t train that much for the half marathon because I had already been running on a daily basis from cross country, and had been running distances over the summer to ensure I could at least survive the 13.1 miles.

The first 9 miles were just pure fun and excitement. After mile 9, however, I started to feel it more and was just focused on getting to mile 12 so we could end strong at the 13.1 mile finish. Finishing my first half marathon made me feel so proud of Rachel and myself, we were both just laughing at the fact we ran 13.1 miles without stopping once.”

-HANNAH LEMANSKI ‘18

Seniors share their college application progress BLAIR CULLEN ’18 Staff Writer

KHALIB RAHMAAN ’18 HOW MANY COLLEGES ARE YOU APPLYING TO? “I am applying to three colleges: University of Michigan, Michigan State University and Grand Valley.”

HOW FAR ARE YOU IN APPLICATIONS? “I’m almost done. I have applied to Grand Valley and I’m finishing up Michigan and Michigan State.”

STEVEN WEIDEMAN ’18 HOW FAR ARE YOU IN THE COLLEGE APPLICATION PROCESS? “So far, I have finished all of my essays. I just need to request my transcripts and send them in officially.”

HOW PREPARED DID YOU FEEL FOR APPLICATION PROCESS? “I think the counselors have done a good job throughout the years to prepare us for everything.”

WHAT ADDED STRESS HAD THE APPLICATION BROUGHT ON? “Honestly, not much. I am a little nervous to hear back from the three schools I applied to, but other than that, it has been pretty good.”

“I am applying to University of Michigan, Albion and Hillsdale.”

CAROLINE HOPPER ’18 HOW MANY COLLEGES ARE YOU APPLYING TO? “I am applying to three colleges: Grand Valley, Miami of Ohio and Dayton in Ohio.”

WHAT SCHOOLS HAVE YOU ALREADY APPLIED TO? “I am applying this weekend to Dayton and Miami, and I applied to Grand Valley before school.”

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT YOUR COLLEGE ESSAYS? “I think I did fine; I’m just now excited to hear back and have a plan for college.”

SOPHIA RZANKOWSKI ’18

Pass it on.

HOW MANY SCHOOLS ARE YOU APPLYING TO? “I’m applying to 17 colleges. I have only applied to one so far, but my plan is 17.”

WHAT ARE YOUR TOP SCHOOLS? “My top schools are USC, UC Berkeley, Stanford and Brown.”

8 | FEATURE

THETOWERPULSE.NET | 10.18.17

Girls golf team reflects on long road to states ISABELLA CRAPAROTTA ’19 Staff Writer This year was the South’s girls’ golf team was one of the best sesons to date. The team is heading off to the Division 1 State Finals.

Co-captains Mollie DeBrunner and Ellie Connors, both ’18, will lead the team to states after winning divisionals and qualifying at regionals.

“We played in our regional tournament on Oct. 12 and we are advancing to states,” Connors said. “We won our divisional tournament, so this season has been really good.”

Both Connors and DeBrunner have been playing golf on the team at South since their freshman year. According to DeBrunner, she began playing golf when she was seven years old.

“I mainly got into it because my parents and my five siblings all golf, so I started playing and it then became sort of a family event,” DeBrunner said.

According to DeBrunner, golf came naturally to her, so she decided to stick with the sport.

“I have played a lot of competitive golf, and playing competitively at the regional and state tournaments for South have been the most intense golf experiences I’ve ever been through,” DeBrunner said. “The girls and their parents are both very competitive.”

According to DeBrunner, last year, the team had a good season. It was the first time they had made it to states in quite a while, and this year, they are hoping to do even better.

“This has definitely been the best year on the team in my opinion, because last year, our top players were freshmen and juniors,” Connors said. “We didn’t lose any players, so we’ve been able to grow as a team even more.”

According to DeBrunner, head coach Harrison Stackpool and assistant coach Devon Compton have built up a strong golf team over

the past two years.

“When I started my freshman year, we really didn’t have much of a girls’ golf program,” DeBrunner said. “It was really disorganized and there were some coaching issues, so we really built up a strong team.”

The team practices for two hours a day Monday through Thursdays and on Saturdays at Burning Tree Country Club and Country Club of Detroit.

“It depends on the day, sometimes we’ll go to the range and hit range balls and work on our swing, and sometimes, we’ll go out and play holes to practice for matches,” ALWAYS IMPROVING Mollie DeBrunner ’18 lines up a tee in the beginning of her fourth season team member Kaitlin Ifkovits of golf at South. According to co-captain Ellie Connors ’18, this is their best season yet. ’20 said.

PHOTO COURTESY OF MOLLIE DEBRUNNER ’18 According to Ifkovits, she really enjoys golf and will play According to Connors, the strongest aspect to their team is their through her senior year. Her consistency.

Connors said the top four girls all have low scores, comdream would be to play collegiate golf. pared to other teams where the top girl will have a low score and the “When I am out on the golf course, I just love it,” Ifkovits said. other teammates won’t have as low of scores.

Connors said she loves the people she has gotten to meet and how “Overall, I think we accomplished our goal already this year,” Declose she has become to her teammates.

Brunner said.

“Our goal was to go out and do our best and have fun.”

“We all get along very well. Everyone’s friends and no one treats anyone poorly. We all support each other and it’s a very positive environment,” Ifkovits said.

COMMITTED:

A volleyball player’s story to success

the national championship in Florida.”

Duff ’s goal in playing volleyball has always been to play in college and get a scholarship, ac300 words with Chandlar Duff ’18 cording to Dwayne Duff, Chandlar’s father. ountless hours, endless weekends and “I am very proud of her,” Dwayne said. “She nothing but hard work has been Chanhad a goal which was to get a college scholarship, dlar Duff ’s ’18 lifestyle the past seven and she put in the work and she has achieved years. Duff committed to play Division 1 volleyher goal.” ball at the University of Oregon last spring and College volleyball is what Chandlar is most has been continuing to work hard and improve looking forward to next year she said. at the sport.

“I can’t wait to start playing more competitive Duff plays on both South’s varsity volleyball volleyball and become the best player I can be,” team and her own club volChandlar said. leyball team.

Chandlar has always been She had a goal which “From August to Novemon a national team at Legacy was to get a college ber, I play high school volleyVolleyball Club. ball. We practice every day scholarship, and she “Chandlar has always been and have games one or two put in the work and a standout player and sticks times a week,” Duff said. “Deshe has achieved her out wherever she plays and cember through June, I play competes,” Gretchen Brockway goal. on an elite national team that ’19, a fellow player at Legacy, DWAYNE DUFF travels all over the country to said.

Chandlar’s Father play in tournaments and naVolleyball has given Chandtional championships.“ lar a lot and she is thankful for Duff has been playing volit everyday, she said. leyball since she was 10 and has had a different “This sport means a lot to me because withcoach every year, she said. out it, I do not think I would have the motivation “Each coach has impacted me differently,” or drive to do what I need to be able to succeed,” Duff said. “My coach I had when I was 15 helped Chandlar said. me decide on what college I wanted to go to, as well as pushing me to get AAU All-American at ALLY MACLEOD ’19 Staff Writer

C

ACE! Chandlar Duff ’18 soars into the air as she sets up success for various teams.

Duff committed to University of Oregon for volleyball last spring.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF CHANDLAR DUFF ’18

Boys tennis victory advances them to state tournament

Don’t drop the ball!

Call us today.

Be honest--you had all summer to do them. On November 2nd, you’ll be too late.

College applications.

Senior portraits.

RACHEL HARRIS ’18 Supervising Editor

Pass it on.

After a grand slam victory in the MAC Red division and placing second at regionals, the South varsity boys tennis team will play in the state tournament this weekend in Midland.

According to coach John Willard, the first goal for the team was to win the MAC Red, which they did by beating strong Port Huron Northern, St. Clair and Grosse Pointe North teams.

“So by beating those three, that was our first goal of the season,” Willard said. “The second goal was to make it to states.”

After their dual matches, the team played in the regional tournament last Thursday. South had finalists in seven out of the eight flights, Willard said.

In order to qualify for the state tournament, the team had to place in the top two places at regionals or acquire 18 points, according to team co-captain Michael Willard ’19. The team placed second and also had wins to place their point total over 18.

According to co-captain Teddy Sweeney ’18, the boys’

play was very successful at regionals.

“Everyone got to the finals except for one flight, so that’s really good,” Sweeney said. “We placed second, which is where we wanted to be. We played amazing.”

The third goal for the team, if they made it to states, was to finish in the top 10, John said.

“It would be wonderful if we finish top 10 in the state, but sometimes it depends on the draws when we get up there,” John said. “It would be a very successful season to finish top 10 in the state.”

Both Sweeney and Michael echoed John’s goals to finish in the top 10.

According to Michael, in order to place in the top 10, usually a team needs around 10 points or the equivalent of everyone winning their first round match. Sweeney even hopes to hold their current state rank of eighth.

According to Michael, the team has been practicing every day for the past two months to ensure they are prepared for states. Both Michael and Sweeney look forward to the challenging competition at states and playing quality tennis.

The boys have had a very successful season thus far, John said.

“The boys had a very good performance,” John said. “I’ve been very pleased with their performance this year. They’ve all worked hard.”

ACROSS THE NET Teddy Sweeney ’18 rounds up to send the ball across court.

Moves like this led the team to be success at regionals.

PHOTO BY DOMINIC DULAC ’20